Project of shifting dairies out of city hangs fire

The move to shift dairies outside the city has been hanging fire for the past 10 years.The dairies are the main reason behind the choking of the sewerage system and water-logging in different parts of the city.

Though the municipal corporation has made several plans to shift the dairies, which have become an eyesore for the locals, they have failed to implement the plans.There are around 1,000 small and big dairies in the city.

In an initiative, the Congress government under chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh had provided the MC 15 acres of land at Ablowal village to move out all diaries in 2003.At present, the MC has taken five acres of land from the forest department in the same village; the department is yet to hand over the land to the MC.

Sources in the MC said, "Had the dairies been shifted in 2003, the problem of sewerage would not have been as grim as it is because dairy owners have expanded their business. In the current scenario, the MC should need another 30-40 acres to shift all dairies," sources added.The problem is more in areas located in the walled city as people often face a choked sewerage system. Dairy owners throw the cow dung waste into the main sewerage lines.

According to information, the MC has repeatedly warned dairy owners not to dump the waste in the main sewer lines, but to no affect.

Mayor Amarinder Bajaj said they had 21 acres of land at Ablowal village but it would not be possible to shift all the dairies in one go due to shortage of land."The space is available to shift only around 250 dairies; the dairies set up in the walled city will be shifted on a priority basis," the mayor said. "The above diaries will be shifted at the earliest as the forest department has been asked to hand over the land immediately," he added.

Bajaj said they also wanted to move the dairies out as it had become a cause of worry for them to tackle the water-logging and sewerage problems.